Among the Most Commonly Used Antiretrovirals Covered by Part D in 2017, 9 of 10 Had List Prices Exceeding Inflation
9 of 10 Most Commonly Used ARVs in Part D Had List Prices Above Inflation Download
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9 of 10 Most Commonly Used ARVs in Part D Had List Prices Above Inflation Download
Nearly 3 million Medicare Part D enrollees had out-of-pocket drug spending above the catastrophic threshold in a recent five-year period, finds a new KFF analysis that takes a comprehensive look at how many people on Medicare have drug expenses high enough to push them above that limit. While the Part D drug benefit has helped make drugs more affordable for people with Medicare, the lack of a hard cap on annual out-of-pocket spending under Part…
As the House-passed Build Back Better Act moves to the Senate, a new explainer from KFF summarizes the key prescription drug provisions within the broader budget reconciliation bill. These provisions would lower prescription drug costs paid by people with Medicare and private insurance and curb drug spending by the federal government and private payers. The Congressional Budget Office estimates federal budget savings from the drug pricing provisions would be $297 billion over 10 years. Although…
Recent legislation would require drug companies to pay rebates to the federal government when annual increases in prescription drug prices for Medicare and private insurance exceed the rate of inflation. As context for understanding the possible impact of this proposal, this analysis compares price changes for drugs covered by Medicare Part B (administered by physicians) and Part D (retail prescription drugs) between 2019 and 2020 to the inflation rate over the same period.
Potential changes in mail service delivery could be a concern for people who receive prescription drugs from mail-order pharmacies. To understand who may be most affected by delays in the delivery of prescription drugs, we analyzed use of mail order in Medicare Part D and large group employer plans, and identified the therapeutic classes and specific drugs with the highest volume of fills by mail-order pharmacies in each market.
With questions being raised about potential delays in U.S. Postal Service delivery, a new KFF data note estimates 14 million enrollees in Medicare Part D and large employer plans relied on mail-order pharmacies for at least one prescription in 2018, with a total of over 170 million prescriptions fulfilled. The use of mail-order pharmacies has been rising in recent years as patients have often been incentivized or mandated to use mail service for convenience and…
The Medicare drug price negotiation program could improve coverage of drugs selected for negotiation for Medicare beneficiaries because the law requires all Medicare Part D plans to cover each of the selected drugs, including all dosages and forms, when negotiated prices take effect. This analysis examines 2026 Medicare Part D formulary coverage of drugs selected for negotiation to measure the effect of the IRA's coverage requirement.
The Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit is provided by private plans, either Medicare Advantage plans that offer drug coverage (MA-PDs) or, for those in traditional Medicare, stand-alone prescription drug plans (PDPs). New data from CMS shows that 56 million people are enrolled in Part D plans as of February 2026, with more in MA-PDs than PDPs, reflecting higher overall enrollment in Medicare Advantage than in traditional Medicare. Enrollment in group MA-PD plans decreased while…
New weight loss drugs, such as Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Wegovy (semaglutide) and Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro (tirzepatide), could be transformative for people who struggle with obesity and obesity-related medical conditions, but there are major questions to consider related to insurance coverage, the cost of the drugs, and who has access. On August 4, three experts joined Larry Levitt, executive vice president for health policy at KFF, for a 45-minute “Health Wonk Shop” discussion about the…
About half of adults are interested in taking prescription weight loss drugs. though interest drops when presented with obstacles or drawbacks. Many adults struggle with affording prescription drugs and say there should be more price regulation. Few are aware of provisions in the 2023 Inflation Reduction Act aimed at lowering the drug price for Medicare beneficiaries
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